Photo By Zachary Mott | A photograph of Pfc. George G. Damico is surround by the awards he earned for his...... read more read more
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CUMBERLAND, Wis. – Private first class George Guy Damico was a tank crewman with Company A, 6th Medium Tank Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War. He was killed in action on September 27, 1950 and his remains were never found.
As his brother, his brother’s wife, his niece and grand-niece gathered in a home just far enough from the center of town in Cumberland, Wisconsin, U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Christopher Spencer from the 88th Regional Support Command presented the surviving family members with the awards Pfc. Damico earned for his service.
These awards include the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.
“We wanted closure,” said Judith Damico, Pfc. Damico’s niece. “My grandmother (Pfc. Damico’s mother) wanted closure. (My father) has been desperately trying to find his brother for all these years. This is helping them with closure.”
Pfc. Damico’s mother passed away nearly a decade ago, but the search for his remains continued. The closure brought by the presentation of his awards serves as a chance for the family to honor the service of one of its own.
Presenting the medals is also a way for the military to continue to honor its own, as well.
“There is nothing more humbling and satisfying and honorable than this duty,” Spencer said. “It is amazing how impactful something like this is given the length of time that has passed since the families’ loved one was MIA or KIA. To see the emotion that the families display whether it be a tear or a voice of dissatisfaction it makes you realize that the fire they have for their lost family member (Soldier) still burns bright even after many, many years.”
There were 36,516 American service members who died during the Korean War. As of June 2017, more than 7,000 service members remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2017 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 245737 |
| Location: | CUMBERLAND, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Family of Korean War Soldier Presented Medals, by Zachary Mott, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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